The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-02-10
South Carolina Grapes.

articles On grape culture, we note that
the San francisco, CAL, Merchant, the
leading wine journal of the country, cop
les in full the valuable comm .,ication
of Mr.. A. NJ. Howell, Of Greenville, S.
O., from our December issue. We now
give our readers an account of the i'm
mense vineyard of Mr.. A. Carpin, of the
same place, whose success is thus de-
scribed by correspondent of the Austin,
Texas, Statesman
We arrived at Mr.. Carpin's early in
the morning, and take pleasure in Civ.
ing an account of our visit, for in my
humble judgment, it contains an uncom.
monty important lesson to the grape
growers, as Mr.. Carpin has undoubtedly
made a success Of grape culture. But
first let us SEQ who he is: A genuine
Frenchman of medium size, full of
energy and speaks broken English with
that foreign accent that has charm for
most every one. He has q pretty little
wife and bouncing baby. Mr.. Carpin
is quite wealthy aud has already spent
about $4,000 tor land and improve.
ments, and says that he intends adding
$50 acres more to his vineyard in the
near future. In 1876 he bought 100
acres of land, all in the woods. His
intentions were to make wine farm on
the French plan, and he has succeeded
admirably. He is thoroughly educated
in grape growing and wine-making. The
ground where his vineyard is situated is
in the hills and will not grow cotton, but
is better adapted for grapes than any
land in France, as it contains large
amount of iron. 1t would stump better
man than myself to give it in his own
graphic way, so full of enthusiasm. He
has now about 5000 grape vines and at
least 275,O0O cuttings that will be set out
in the spring, principally the Clinton,
Concord, Thomas and Ives varieties, and
300 to 500 Martha, Pocklipgton and
Niagara, of which has been set out this
year. Also 10000 Norton vines that
have been growing two years, and will
set out II 900 more Of the Norton variety
next year. He has, therefore, about
900 vines to an acre, in rows seven feet
apart, and vines six feet apart in rows
He keeps plants cut back small, which
makes the berries and punches large
His vineyard will have this year eighty
acres and 10000 grape vines. His yield
produced this year 500 gallons of wine
per acre or 10000 gallons from eighty
acres. He has two years contract with
Boston firm to purchase all of his new
! wine at 81 per gallon, and sl.5o per gal
lon for wine two years old; the same rate
of increase for older wine. He vii!
however, keep wine to improve with age
Els vintage for one year will pay hin
gross S4O,0 900 for new wine. He started
by planting 1000 vines, in 1882. Hi
two year old vines produce from twenty
to fifty buuches each, and the older vine!
have larger number of punches. II
France vines do not produce we'll unit
Eve years old. Mr.. Carpin is much bet
ter pleased with the results of his labor
than he ever was in France. His deligh
is boundless. He is up before day, ane
says he never stops until the stars art
shining. That he can prune and take
care of sixty acres of grapes himself
He, with help, has cut trenches ovel
eighty acres of laud, at intervals Of sever
feet. He employs but three hands ii
the winter season during the summer h'
employs twenty men and boys. All o
the surface dirt has been thrown on th'
lower side of the trenches to keep it il
ridges, as the ground in this State WASHES
badly. The best grapes are produced il
dry seasons, heavy rains in the spring
knock the blossoms off the vines, and th'
fruit is always sweetest Of a dry season
The wood which was cut from this lant
was burned and the ashes we're distribu
ted over the land, as it makes splendit
fertilizer. His farm is a succession o
rich hills of grapes.
As have stated before he plants th'
Ives, Clinton and Concord in equal mum
bers, and he makes bis wine dry red b.
uniting the three. The Clinton gives th'
| fine red color to the wine; the Concord
gives the body, and the Ives produces
the sparkle. He has all the improved
machinery for making wine. His wine
is called Bordeaux, aud makes withou
sugar. He carries on his fermentation
in cellars at from fifteen to twenty. five
degrees. Says wine will cease fermenta
tion in three days He keeps his vine
yard free from grass. The vines are tiee
to single stake that is Set permanently
in the ground. He is sure of success
and his place is to-day worth s500,000
He will listen to no suggestions of failure
He has proven his faith by his works. 1
was near noon when we went into his
cellars, which are immense in size, and
they have capacity of holding twenty
FIVE thousand gallons of wine. His
handsome brick residence is four stories
high, of thirty-two rooms and is to be
enlarged to seventy.tw rooms. There
is winding stairway from the cellar to
the roof, through the center of the build
ing. On coming from the cellars we
were called to dinner. This was the first
real French meal that either my friend
who was with me, or myself ever sa,
down to, and it was conducted in genuine
French styIe.-Southsrn Culiivator ana
Di1ie Farmer.
The Interstate Commerce Bill.
Professor Arthur T. Hadley, of New
n ~